Water-heating apparatus.



R. VON BRCKDORPP.

. WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLIcA'rIoN Hmm 1111.5, 1911.

Patented sept. 5,1911'.

R. voN Bncxnonrr.

WATER HEATING APPARATUS.

ArrLIuArxox FILED uns, 1an.

1,002,637. Patented Sept. 5,1911.

l SHEETS-SHEET l.

f r/wey Ta all whom it may concern. 'e

Be it known that I, RUDOLF voNfBRooK- nourri, a subject of the `King of Prussia, and resident of 135 Alexandrinenstrasse, Berlin, Germany, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Heating Apparatus,rof which the following l is a. specification. V-

This invention relates to an electrodeV for the heating or electrolysis of liquids and is particularly adapted for' water heating and l steam generating apparatus.

. small cross-section, and of sufficient resistages. The liquid` which receives its current As theheat generated by an electric current in a. liquid is pro ortional to the square ofthe electromotive orce and to the resistance, it is therefore necessary, for liquids Aof small resistance, to employ currentsof,

great amperage and low voltage. According to this inventionthe liquid forming the resistance is a column of comparatively ance to permitof the use\ of high voltfrom the electrode is contained in a hollow bodyor tube open at its upper and lower ends or perforated.` They liquid owing to Ithe heat generated rises inthe hollow body bind passes out thereof at the upper end returning `again to the hollow body at its lower end. The lengthand cross-section is capable aof being readily varied and thereby `the felectrode may be adapted to varying requirements.

i The invention also comprises means .for

Areadily adapting the electrode to water heating apparatus upon an electric locomotive for the purpose of generating steam in a j and in order to give the, lsurface for the passage o I maywbe in the form of a number of disks or boiler from the working current for application "to the heating of the rail-way carriages and such like purposes. The elec- -trode is arranged in an insulating casing eatest possible the current, it

plates laced side by side and if desired m'ade-of)wire-gauze,or it may bein'theform ofa carbon-blockpositioned in a cylinder, or of any other suitable form. The insulating casing for the electrode'is 'in communication wit-h the surrounding liquid through a number of tubes, some of which j open.`

aboveand some of which open .belowy the casin into the liquid. The yout-putrniay thus readily varied "putting in .zorffciit-` `ting out of thecircuit lthe` individual tubes and thisfmay be `effected: by cocks-org'other Specification ot Letters `lateiit.

. Applicationled January 5, 1911. Serial No. 601,029. i' .y

cut olf devicesarranged in zthe tubes and preferably of insulating material, so. that they not only lcut olf the passage of. the liquidthrough the tubes but also prevent the passage of the electric current. Further Patented Sept. #5 1 911. `A

it has been found that at high temperatures and with high steam generation there is aliability of disturbing variations in the output,

the steam being generated very irregularly so that it varies within very widelimits. In order to ayoid such conditions, the tubes are preferably tapered downwardly or other means may be provided, so that the lower cross-sectional opening ofthe tubes is of smaller area uthan `the `outlet .openin Further in order to preventthe'steam bu bles generated from breaking the circuit, ad-

ditional tubesxare provided passing from the insulating casing of the electrode and opening above` the surface of the liquid, so that these tubes lead a partrof` the steam direct to the steam chamber. y

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings which show by `way of example two methods of carrying out the invention. I

Figure 1 is a vertical section of tlie'elec-y trodea as applied to the heatinfr or elec.-v trolysis of a liquid; Fig. 2 is a detail View showing means for 4varyingthe lower crossl sectional area of the hollow body. or tube surrounding the electrode. are vertical sections at right angles to one another of the invention as applied to a water heating apparatus suitabley forvelec-` tric railway trains. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line :v ofFig. i

Referring to Fig. 1 ofthe drawings vsuitable material is surroundedatits lower eend by a hollow `body Z) oftubular form and Figsf anda `electrode a which is of carbon or any other'` ofy porcelain, glassor other insulating,nia-v f terial.

,y The hollow bodyfb` and electrodefa` dip into the liquidfw, which` ina-y forexam- `ple be containedina heating"boilerr'ffiThe f tube b is secured to thecover kof the boiler.

which may for water heating purposes formel1'` Athe second'electrode, 'Theftube b "isopen at its lower end andis provided inits upper partwithv perfor-ations f.- Surroundingthef-ifL j 'electrode a and .within the'tube biisa` secondi iv narrowert-ube g lwhich is suspended in po'si-` "trode axis likewise suspended in positiony means j offlclanips 'afi `carried any suitabl' from the tube g.

'means. vOn the drawings the annular space betweemthe electrode a and the tubey g is shown open, but mayif desired, be closed. The current from ,the electrode a, passes in the direction of the arrows aand z to the second electrode. The' current passing in the direction generates heat 'in a 'column of liquid of length e and diameter d and the liquid therein therefore'rises and passes out vthrou h the o nings ffreturningagain to the hollowbo y b at the lower end,so that there is a constant circulation `of liquid in the hollow body b. If the-electrode a is freely arranged in the tube b, that is without the use of the intermediate tube g, then the current will take the shortest way from one electrode to the other through the open ings f. This is however prevented by the insulating tube g which reaches to a point below-the openings f in the tube b, so that the current from the electrode must pass through a column of liquid of small crosssection before passing through the openings f, this liquid column being of annular form. The direction of the current is. indicated by the arrows it. The total resistance to the current is thus the sum of two liquid columnsl parallelly arranged inthe circuit, the one of cylindrical or similar form of length e and dlameter d and the other 'of annular form of length. The degree of resistance maybe varied by adjusting the position of .the electrode in the liquid or by relative adljust-ment of the electrode and the tube or adjusting the position of the tubes or -b hollow bo y 1). It is also possible to vary the volume of the column of liquid, as shown for example at Fig. 2, in which the lower end of the tubel b is provided with a conicalvalve r capable of being vertically adjusted, so that the cross-sectional area of the' tube b at its lower end may be varied according to the posit-ion of the conical valve r. If

desired," the electrode a may be provided cover or coating apart t is also possible to attain the lobject of this invention by forming the tubular body as the electrode. Thetubular bodyr b' may be vof conducting material which is insulated up to that part where the current passes over into the liquid. This insulation may :take the form of an insulatwith an insulatin ing coating for a movabletub'ular or otherwise shaped slidable covering means. If desired, the hollow body b Amay be suspended in the liquid, so that its upper open end is positioned a short distance above the level of thejLiJquid, thereby dispensing with the necessityj'jor 4the perforations" f. In thiscase the ,rising liquid will stream over the upper; end. ofthe hollow body and Vfall into i the liquid and thereby the separation of the steam will be considerably facilitated.

Referrin to Figs. 3,4 and 510i the k.drawings, the e ect'rode -l in this case consists of drawn out of the boiler v.

a number of carbon plates arranged side by side in a porcelain or other insulating box m, and secured to a stuiiing member n passing through a stung box o, so that it can be Th other elec-k trode is formed by the inner surfaceof the boiler fv.' T he interior of the box lm. is in connection with thesurroundin'g Water' by a plurality of tubes p, entering the box from below. In order to give these tubes-'a suili; ciently large capacity, paratively ong, as the cross-section ofthe `individual tubes admits o'f only a limited powerbeing applied; For this purpose the tubes are not arranged perfectly straight but'are bent or otherwise made, so that the necessary length is obtained. Each tube p is provided with a porcelain cuto' valv'eg which may be individually accessible from the exterior by meansnot shown on the drawing and which servesnot only to cut off the How ofl liquid through the tube p but at the same time cuts oif the passage -of the electric current therethrough owing to its insulating property. l Passing. upwardly from the box m is apluralit of' tubes s which open into the liquid. urther, one

g or more tubes t of larger cross-section com-- municate with 4the interior of the box m. and the steam chamber above the surface of the liquid. The tubes t may be arranged' in any convenient'manner, so as to conduct they must be compart of the steam generated in the -boxzqysf direct to the steam chamber, so that steam does not pass' through the. tubi'esjj 8. i100 v which would in such case be subjected to an' overload, as they have to conduct'the steamgenerated within themselves. vvThe steam generated in the tubes s is veryconsiderable -as the temperature ofthewater' there@ is high owing to the preheating of the water,. which has taken place inthe lower tubes p.

In order to render the escape of the steam possible without irregularity the tubes s are conically formed, So that the cross-sectional` area of their outlet'openings is greater than that of the inlet o nings. The tubes a are' similarly provide lwith porcelainv or' other linsulated `c`ut 01T valves u, so that it is possible to regulate the eneration of the steam by cutting out the iquid supply and the passages of the current throug.

Fromvthe description relating to Figs. 3, to 5 it will readilybe understood that the electric current passing from the electrode l to the /outer casing or electrode 'v is coinpelled to pass through the tubes Z2, a and t owing to the box m being of insulating `,the tubes s. 7

material; the current thus rapidly heats the y liquid in these tubes and sets up a circulad tion therein. When it is desired to control the heat-ing oI the` liquid, one or more of the insulated valves g` and u ma be closed, thus .preventing a circulation o theliquid` through the respective tube or tubes while ai the saine time the ialyes when in closed position torni insulators between the elec.-

ti'ode i' and the outer casing' or electrode r. The liquid columns in the tubes s and p forni the main elements ot resistance and in the saine inanner as in Fig. l are arranged parallelly in the circuit. the water risingv upwardly in these tubes owiirLr to the ditlerg ence in temperature and passing out at, the

upper end in the manner already described with reference to Fig'. l.

It will. ot' eoursefbe readil' understood,

that the apparatus hereinbefore described. although p iinarily intended for use with alternatingcurrents for heating purposes.

may equally well be adapted for the electrolysis of liquids. if continuous currents are used.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for the lieatin;I and electrolysis of liquids by electricity. an eleetrode immersed in the liquid and a nonconducting hollow body surrouinling said veleetiode and communicating above and be- 10W with the surrotmding;` liquid to be heated, so as to enable the liquid to circulate o-trode immersed in the liquid, a nonconduct ing hollow body surrounding:r said electrode and communicating with the surrounding liquid to be heated and means for yaryine the cross-sectional area of said hollow body.

4. In an apparatus for the heatingl and electrolysis of liquids by electricity. an electrode immersed in the liquid. a nonconduct ing hollow surrounding said electrode, upper and lower connections with .said hollow body and the surrounding' liquid to be heated and means for iinliyidually controlling and r-littiii-oli"said connections.

a. In an apparatus for the heatinglof liquids by electricity. an electrode immersed in the liquid, a noncoiulucting;I hollow body surrouinlintr said electrode. up|`ier and lower connections with said hollow body and the surrounding liquid to be heated and insulated means t'oi' individually controlling und vatting-ottl said connections and adapted at the saine time to control the passage oi the Current.

t'. ln an apparatus for the heating' of liquids by electricity. an electrode innnersed in the liquid. a nonconducting hollow body surrounding said electrode. upper and loweiI connections with lsaid hollow body and the surrounding liquid to be heated and means for iinliyidually controlling and cutting-ottl said connections. said connections wider at their outlet ends than at' their inlet ends.

7. ln an apparatus t'or the heating' o ti liquids by electricity. an electrode immersed iirfihe liquid. a nonconducting hollow body surrounding said electrode. uppe and lower connections with said hollow body and the surroundingl liquid to be heated. ineans for individually controlling' and cutting-oilA said connections. and means for conducting' steam from said hollow body to a chamber aboytqthe `level of the liquid.

S. l'n an apparatus tor the heating;- and electrolysis of liquids by electricity. the com-I bination of a vessel t'or containingl the` liquid to be heated, an electrode in .said

vessel, mains whereby the electrode may be 'withdrawn from said Vessel and a` non-conducting hollow body surrounding said electrode and counnunicating with the liquid in the yessel. the casin v ot' said vessel forining' the second electrode.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence ot' two witnesses.

RUDOLF vox BRQCKDOR FI". Witnesses:

WoLmcM .in HAUPT, HENRY llasriin.

being n 

